Dive Brief:

• South Carolina is running out of money to prevent leaks at a closed toxic waste landfill.

• Safety Kleen, the company that formerly owned the site under the name Laidlaw Environmental Services, negotiated a $150 million settlement towards the long-term monitoring and clean-up of the landfill, but the funds are diminishing.

• The financial burden is expected to fall onto taxpayers. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, (DHEC) the state will need up to $100 million in funding to oversee and monitor the site. 

Dive Insight:

The decision about where to draw funding from will be made by Legislature and Congress. In the meantime, State Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, will initiate a budget request to set aside funds annually that will go towards site operations. The landfill is not currently leaking, but sits 200 yards away from Lake Marion, so continued monitoring is a must.

DHEC initially required a $133 million cash trust to cover site-related costs, but the agency caved under pressure from legislators and supporters of Laidlaw Environmental, one of the most powerful companies in the state. Landfill managers "raided" another account in order to cover costs, which lowered the balance to $7 million from $36 million. The second fund is expected to dry up within two to three years.